 A fundamental principle of Ayurveda is that our habits, routines, and dietary choices should align with the seasons. Ayurveda views our physical bodies, along with everything in the Universe, as being made up of the five primary elements; earth, water, fire, air, and ether or empty space. These elements are expressed in the physical body as qualities of stability/support (earth), feeling/fluidity (water), heat and metabolism (fire), respiration and circulation (air), and space and lightness (ether). Characteristics of Summer: The characteristics of summer are heat, long days of bright sun, and sharp intensity. These are all attributes of pitta dosha, which is why summer is considered a pitta season. While the warm summer weather is appealing for most of us, too much heat creates imbalance. When the fire element becomes too intense, it creates an excess of the pitta dosha. To move toward balance, Ayurveda reminds us that “like increases like and opposites balance.” This wisdom is extremely helpful when considering your physical activities in the summer. Summer often motivates us to up our game with physical fitness, especially in the Pacific Northwest where we have many rainy months and live for summer! The summer months are meant to be active provided you exercise at appropriate times and at an appropriate intensity. Yoga tips for August:
Enjoy out the audio yoga practice below: ALL LEVEL PITTA REDUCING YOGA PRACTICE - 24 MINUTES Share it with a friend!
XO Annie
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Ayurveda Foods for August According to Ayurveda, our bodies heat up at the end of the summer. The effects of this heat can show up as skin irritations, rashes, hay fever, and disrupted digestion. If you suffer from any of these, it is likely that your body has accumulated excess heat. If you can cool and release the hot, sharp qualities of summer from your body, you will transition more smoothly to the dry season of fall and you will strengthen your immune system and prevent full colds and flus. Thankfully, if you look to what is fresh in your area, you can cool the heat by eating what nature provides best this season: juicy fruits! Enjoy the juicy fruits of August: Enjoy melon, watermelons, grapes, apples, peaches, pears, plums. Eat lots of these. They are sweet and juicy and will cool and hydrate your body. They are gentle on digestion. Foods that aren’t great to consume in excess in late summer because these will increase heat are:
My favorite ways to juicy fruits these are fresh off the tree or vine and I love starting my morning with a fresh fruit smoothie. Try these smoothie combos for August:
Seasonal fruit crisp
You can make a fruit crisp with almost any kind of fruit. Plums, pears and apples are all great. Filling:
Mix filling ingredients and place in 9 X 13 pyrex pan. Mix together topping ingredients and spread over the top of the filling. Bake at 400 degrees of about 40 minutes, until fruit is bubbly and topping is golden brown. Serve and enjoy! What's your favorite way to enjoy the fruits of August? Leave me a comment! |
AuthorAnnie Barrett. Educator, certified health coach, educator and yoga instructor. 
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